To Make Trip Effective, Buhari Needs Businessmen, Security Experts On Entourage - Shehu Sani

Senator Shehu Sani

The senator who represented Kaduna Central at the Eighth Senate, Shehu Sani, has said that, for President Muhammadu Buhari’s official foreign trips to benefit the country, businessmen and security experts should be on his entourage.

President Buhari will depart Abuja Monday (today) for Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to attend the third edition of the Future Investment Initiative organised by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund.

Just last week, the President had been in Russia for the Russia-Africa Economic Summit.

He had participated at the three-day event with the governors of Gombe, Zamfara and Ekiti states; as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari and others.

For the Riyadh trip, one of the President’s spokesmen, Garba Shehu, said Buhari would be accompanied by governors of Borno, Kebbi and Katsina states - Babagana Zulum, Abubakar Bagudu and Aminu Masari, respectively.

Others on his entourage are the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva; and Minister of Communications and Digital Technology, Dr. Isa Pantami.

Also accompanying the President to Riyadh are the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno (rtd); the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari.

Garba added that, after the Riyadh conference, the President would visit Mecca, in company with his close personal aides to perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah).

More revelations about the Riyadh trip shows that the President will cross to the United Kingdom from Saudi Arabia.

“At the end of the summit, President Buhari will, on Saturday, November 2, 2019, proceed to the United Kingdom on a private visit.

“He is expected to return to Nigeria on November 17, 2019,” another of his spokespersons, Femi Adesina stated.

Sani, in reaction to the news, had posted on his Facebook wall on Monday:

“Official foreign trips by Mr President that will bring economic gains to our country or realistically help us in addressing our security challenges is not bad; but we should see Businessmen & security experts on the entourage.”